Policeman mistakenly shoots self dead while adjusting rifle in Lagos

The atmosphere at the Mobile Police Force 20, in the Ikeja area of Lagos, had been tense since Tuesday after a police inspector, identified simply as Medugwu, mistakenly shot himself dead, while adjusting a faulty rifle.

The inspector, who was attached to MOPOL 20, was the second-in-command to the armourer. At 10am, a colleague had given him the faulty rifle to examine and readjust for him, Medugwu was said to have accidentally pulled the trigger of the rifle, which projected a bulletin to his jaw. 

Other policemen in the area were said to have rushed to the scene and taken Medugwu to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja. The inspector, however, died in the hospital at about 1pm.

A policeman, who claimed to have witnessed the accident, said Medugwu accidentally turned the barrel of the rifle on himself during the check, before his finger touched the trigger.

He said: 

“He was the second-in-command at the armoury in the MOPOL 20. A policeman brought a faulty rifle to his office to examine. While he was doing that, he mistakenly turned the barrel of the gun on himself, and he mistakenly pulled the trigger.

“We rushed him to LASUTH, where the medical personnel battled to save his life. But, he died at about 1pm. His head was badly injured. Medugwu’s death shook all of us.”

Punch